The Heart Of A Dragon
by NerdieMcCool
Summary: Wildclaw, a normal warrior of Wildclan, must fight with the power of StarClan against his greatest immortal enemy - himself. -DISCONTINUED-
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This story is going to be one that I will work very hard on, so stay tuned! It turns out to be a sad story at the end, even organizing the plotline made me want to cry :P**

**R&R!**

WildClaw shouldered his way out of the warriors' den, and took a plump mouse from the fresh-kill pile. He gazed around camp. This was his home now. WildClan had taken him in when he was a starving loner, and the clan still accepted him despite his past.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Great Willow!"

Wildclaw choked the rest of his vole down and sat under the willow tree. He gazed up at Windstar.

"Green-leaf has brought us good hunting and such, but we all know that during Leaf-fall and Leaf-bare some clans starve. That is why we are lucky to have new apprentices, who will train to become warriors and fight, hunt, maybe die for their clan. Spottedkit and Firekit, please step forward."

Wildclaw watched the kits scamper eagerly towards Windstar, halting at her paws. Spottedkit held her head high, and Firekit's eyes seemed to, oddly, change colour from gold to red and Firekit looked annoyed at all the faces staring up at him. Firekit was a brave kit, but had an extremely short temper. And no help with that, he was already on his way to be one of the greatest fighters in the clan. One paw in the wrong place, he could probably leave you with some wounds to remember.

Dazed out of his thoughts, Windstar was halfway done the ceremony. "Hazelfeather, you're ready for an apprentice, you shall mentor Spottedpaw. You are a courageous clanmate, and I hope you pass down all you know to yound Spottedpaw. Ivyfire, you're also ready for an apprentice. You will mentor Firepaw. The clan honors your intelligence and bravery, and we hope that you will pass down those traits to Firepaw."

Windstar bounded down from the Great Willow as the clan cheered on the new apprentices, signalling that the meeting was over. Wildclaw heard a faint sigh from beside him to see Lionkit with a sad expression on his face. The kit looked up at Wildclaw. "When will it be my turn?" he asked.

"Soon, trust me." Wildclaw purred. Lionkit sighed again, but went over to congradulate Spottedpaw on her apprenticeship.

Wildclaw glanced to Firepaw, who was hollering at his mentor. "I don't need a mentor! I can teach myself!" he hissed. Windstar popped her head out of her den and padded towards Firepaw. "Firepaw, you may not like it, but Iveyfire is your mentor and you must do as she says. It's part of becoming a warrior."

Firepaw hissed at Windstar and Spottedpaw said to Firepaw, "Firepaw, having a mentor won't be that bad you just-"

Firepaw launched himself at Spottedpaw, pinning her down. "Don't tell me what to do, alright!"

Spottedpaw writhed and squirmed, kicking Firepaw with her hind legs. She struggled free and leaped onto Firepaw's back, scoring her claws along his back as he winced in pain. He shook her off and hissed, his back arched in a menacing stance. She hissed back, her small, slender figure not letting off quite the "scary" effect.

She bolted forward, headbutting him, but Firepaw only staggered back and sprang back into battle. He pounced onto her back, his claws holding a firm grip as his teeth were beared into a familiar bite. Windstar batted at Spottedpaw, trying to get her out from under him. The clan cats were in shock, staggering backwards at the battle.

Wildclaw scrreched at Firepaw. "NO!"

But it was too late. Firepaw hurled his jaw down to the side of Spottedkit's neck and blood poured from the wound. Wildclaw was in shock. Firepaw was practically a kit! He had tiger-like fangs that stuck out of his mouth a bit, and sharp claws that could puncture a cat's skin with just a bit of effort. He was obviously a descendant from TigerClan.

Firepaw jumped off, licking the blood from the side of his jaw. Spottedpaw lay in a puddle of blood; one that was growing by the heartbeat. Dewpaw, the medicine apprentice, pushed her way through the crowd. Gingerpool, the medicine cat, arrived with cobwebs and such. Wildclaw watched them work. All the cats' eyes were wide, they all knew that nothing could be done for poor Spottedpaw. A killing bite like that could not be fixed with herbs. Spottedpaw was in the paws of StarClan now.

All was silent as Dewpaw and Gingerpool stepped away from the body, heads hung low. The only sounds that could be heard were of the forest; birds chirping, trees and grass being blown around in the soft wind. The sky stayed bright, no clouds, no storms. Like StarClan didn't mind that an apprentice, merely a kit really, had just died in battle with another clanmate.

The silence was broken as Fawnstep, Spottedpaw's mother, launched herself at Firepaw. She hissed into his face, "How could you! You mongrel!"

Wildstar and Blackhawk pulled Fawnstep off of Firepaw, and Firepaw's eyes flickered, changing colour from red to gold. He looked scared and frantic. Wildclaw sighed sadly. Spottedpaw would be missed.

* * *

He settled down by Spottedpaw's body, sitting vigil for her death. Fawnstep was crying into her fur, muttering her last words. He picked up a few words; "...Wish...StarClan...Life..."

As Fawnstep parted from her daughter, sniffling, her eyes grew wide as Spottedpaw panted, her eyes shooting open. Her wounds were outlined with light, and stars were glowing brightly in her fur. The wounds closed and healed quickly. Spottedpaw staggered to her feet, panting still. she looked around as the cloan cheered in happiness and thanks StarClan for giving the apprentice her life back. StarClan had given this apprentice's life back; it had to be for a reason.

Flamepaw, another apprentice, growled at Firepaw. Firepaw snarled at him, his eyes changing colour again, gold to red. Flamepaw hissed, "You never fight another clanmate!"

Firepaw leaped, pinning him down, despite his smaller size. "Don't tell me what to do!"

Flamepaw batted him with his hind legs until Firepaw let go, and he ran off into the forest. Wildstar got up and pelted after him, and finally the clan stirred out of the shock. They went back to their dens knowing that Wildstar would handle it. Wildclaw sat up and shook his pelt, sending bits of dirt flying. "Hey! Watch it!"

Wildclaw looked to his right to see Twistedeclipse glaring at him. "Look at how you've ruffled my pelt!"

Wildclaw rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right." he stretched, letting a small gust of wind blow through his sleek black fur. "Up for a hunt?" he asked her, smiling. Wildclaw and Twistedeclipse had a history, they'd grown up together. From troublesome apprentices to hard-working warriors. she had accepted him the most when he was first brought into the clan. And yes, you could say that Wildclaw "had a thing" for Twistedeclipse.

Twistedeclipse smiled back. "Sure."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Thanks for clicking on this story. I'm glad, but mostly because I'm not really a popular author =/**

**Anyways, please R&R!**

Wildclaw raised his head to the soft whisper of the wind, his ears perked up. Hed closed his eyes, listening intently for any signs of prey. A soft squeak came from the right of him, under the roots of a tree. He slowly opened his eyes and stepped nimbly to the right. He raised his haunches and slightly squared his shoulders. The mouse didn't stand a chance. He pounced, flying through the air as if gravity was not there. The mouse let out a final noise as Wildclaw landed on top of it, killing it swiftly with one bite to it's vocal chords.

"Nice catch." mewed a melodious voice from behind him. Wildclaw grasped the brown-furred animal in his jaws firmly, before turning around and smiling at the beautiful she-cat in front of him. "Hello, Twistedeclipse. Back from your part of the hunt already?"

She flicked her tail in greeting, picking up the lifeless body of a cloud-white rabbit she dropped. She snickered. Wildclaw looked confused. "You think my prey is not as good as yours?"

Twistedeclipse chuckled. "Well, a mouse and a rabbit. Hmmm." Wildclaw dropped his prey and playfully leaped on her. "My hunting may not be as good as yours, but my battle skills are top notch!" he mewed to her face, pinning her down. Twistedeclipse smiled, then licked his cheeck.

Wildclaw licked her ear, and climbed off of her. Twistedeclipse's ringled tail swept out behind her as she smiled at him. Wilclaw looked into her beautiful golden eyes, and he had to tell her. "Twistedeclipse, I have to tell you something... I love you. I loved you the first time I saw your beautfiul pelt. I loved you the first time I heard your name. I loved you when we had our first trainging session. I love you, Twistedeclipse. Will... will you be my mate?"

Twistedeclipse just smiled, and nuzzled Wildclaw under his chin. "I'll take that as a yes." he whispered, smiling.

* * *

The two mates padded into camp, their tails entwined. Wildclaw didn't need to hide his feelings from her now.

"I'm going to go get something to eat. You want something?" Twistedeclipse asked. Wildclaw shook his head. "No thanks. I'm going to go see if Spottedpaw's alright." he mewed back. She nodded, then picked up and mouse and sat down to eat.

Wildclaw padded to the nursery, and saw Lionkit whispering to Spottedpaw. "I know. And I thnik I'll miss you most of all, Spottedpaw. But I must do this."

Spottedpaw looked hurt. "I'm coming with you!" she meowed. Lionkit growled at her. "No, you're not!"

Spottedpaw hung her head low. "Lionkit, you didn't do it. It wasn't your fault, it was theirs. Please don't go!" she looked up at him, her amber eyes showing something deeper than what her words meant. Lionkit sighed. "Fine. I will stay. But next time something like that happens, I must leave. I'm sorry."

Spottedpaw smiled. Wildclaw stepped in. "Hello, you two. Spottedpaw, are you alright?" Spottedpaw nodded. Wildclaw smiled. "Well, We have news that WinterClan have been stealing prey from us, and I think that you may be one of the cats chosed to convict them."

The idea of the neighboring clan stealing prey was not a good idea, but the thought of an adventure seemed to perk her up. She looked cheery. She was always happy, it was sort of her perk. She saw the bright side of everything. It was nice, actually. When something terrible happened, you could always count on Spottedpaw to cheer you up.

"Wow! Really? Cool! I-"

Her words were inturrupted as Windstar sprang up on the low branch of the Great Willow, and called out the familiar summons.

The clan cats swarmed out of their dens slowly. "Lionkit, please step up."

Lionkit bounded eagerly up to the Great Willow, not caring about his touseled pelt.

"Lionkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw. Your mentor will be Wildclaw. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you. Wildclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had recieved excellent training, and you have shown yourself to be caring and loyal. You will be the mentor of Lionpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to this young apprentice."

Lionpaw was shaking on his paws as he padded up to Wildclaw and touched noses. Wildclaw twitched his whiskers in amnusement as the clan called out Lionpaw's new name and Windstar went back into her den. Wildclaw smiled and spoke to his apprentice; "Hunting?"

Lionpaw nodded eagerly, and the two set off out of camp.

* * *

Lionpaw stalked the mouse hungrily. The undergrowth was especially thick here, so he could get reaol close to the creature before having to pounced. He waggled his hindquarters, just like Wildclaw had taught him, and leaped, soaring through the air. He dispatched his prey with a quick nip to the neck. Picking it up, he padded to where he saw Wildclaw last. He wanted to show off first piece of prey to his mentor.

Lionpaw stopped in his tracks as he heard a blood-curdling screech. Wildclaw's screech. He forgot about his mouse and pelted through the forest, not caring about the numerous twigs snapping at him like claws.

He came to Wildclaw, where he lay in a pool of his own blood. His own blood was on his claws, and on his teeth. It looked like he had attacked _himself!_ Had he done this to himself? Wildclaw lay on the ground; his gaze filmy as he struggled to breathe. Lionpaw ran up to his mentor, eyes popped wide in shock. "Don't worry Wildclaw! I'll help you!"

Wildclaw turned his glassy gaze to face Lionpaw. He chuckled. "Don't help me. I'm no match for you. I don't need helping."

His golden eyes shot out into lava-like redness; like flames lapping at Lionpaw's face. He staggered back as Wildclaw stepped up, and an unearthly black mist floated up around him. "Wha... Wildclaw, what are you doing?" breathed Lionpaw.

Wildclaw laughed again, and unsheathed his claws. Lionpaw took a step back. "Don't call me _Wildclaw. _My name is Shadowheart!"

Lionpaw looked even more shocked, and he took another step back. Shadowheart laughed _again_. "Oh, don't be scared. Why would I waste time on a pitiful lump like you? I have work to do." Shadowheart spun around and ran off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! I hope you like this story so far. Well, here goes another chapter!**

Lionpaw burst through the camp entrance, eyes wide with shock. He was panting.

"Wildclaw's gone mad!" he yowled. "He's headed for the mountains! He says his name is Shadowheart!"

Twistedeclipse looked startled. "What...?" Lionpaw paused to catch his breath, and Twistedeclipse liiked sad. "But I'm having his kits!"

Lionpaw watched the camp stir before seeing Windstar pad out of her den. "What's going on?" she mewed. Lionpaw called to her, "Wildclaw's gone mad!"

Firepaw looked shocked. "Oh StarClan no...!" Lionpaw looked confused. "What?" he mewed. Firepaw looked at his paws. "He is posessed. He is posessed by the same demon that posessed my father, them posessed me. It's what made me kill Spottedpaw. Shadowheart could kill us all."

Lionpaw looked shocked. "Well we must do something!"

Firepaw shook his head. "Only Shadowheart's own kin could defeat him."

Lionpaw looked thoughtful. "That would include his kits?"

Firepaw nodded. Lionpaw smiled. "Well, Twistedeclipse is going to have his kits!"

Firepaw shrugged. "It could work. When the demon, otherwise known as Shadowheart, kills a cat, he swallows their soul and sends it to the Dark Forest. Spottedpaw would have been gone forever if StarClan hadn't meant for her to live. Shadowheart will kill every cat he finds, at least enough to make an exceptional army. Then the kits would have to kill him."

Lionpaw nodded. "Then we've got to wait until the kits are born."

* * *

Twistedeclipse yowled, and her body went into another spasm of pain. She was having her kits, a moon after Shadowheart had gone insane. Gingerpool was doing everything she could, and Twistedeclipse was in the paws of Starclan now. As the last kit slid out, The new mother went limp. She lay in a pool of blood, and Flamepelt, formerly Flamepaw, helped by licking the kits' fur backwards to warm them up.

The kits let out faint mewls of protest as they were brought back to camp. Their names were Firekit, Icekit, Cloverkit and Dragonkit. Lionpaw sighed. He didn't know how, but these kits would save their clan one day. And it was bound to be soon.

After the kits were layed in the nursery with the pregnant Starcloud and her mate, Flamepelt, Lionpaw sat down beside Spottedtail. "Spottedtail, do you think the kits will really save us?" he asked fretfully. Spottedtail was his closest clanmate, maybe closer.

"Only time can tell." she breathed, and rested her tail on lionpaw's shoulder. He whispered a silent prayer to StarClan. He liked the feeling of extreme comfort that Spottedtail gave him, the feeling of butterflies that could just fly out of his stomach.

* * *

Shadowheart growled at his brothers. "You can't stop me! You'll never stop me!" he hissed, and swatted Echoheart him like a fly across the room. He slashed Lionheart with his powerful talon-like claws. "Get out of here! You sicken me!"

Echoheart and Lionheart struggled to get up, but they managed to stagger out of Shadowheart's cave. They knew all about the demon inside of their brother, that's why they'd come to try to defeat him. But he was too strong. They had to get to his clan first. It would be a long journey, but they could make it. "Let's rest here, and wait for our wounds to close up." Lionheart meowed.

The two rested at the edge of the meadow. Once across the meadow, they had to cross a forest, then a river. Echoheart and Lionheart lay down beside eachother, and waited several heartbeats until their wounds finally closed and their energy came back.

**Okay, I know what you're thinking. They must be immortal. Haha, no, but they heal themselves with their brotherhood. If one of them died, it would take longer for the wounds to heal. But since all the brothers are alive, their wounds heal pretty quickly.**

* * *

It had been a few days, and Lionpaw seemed to discover what the kits' "powers" where. Cloverkit could heal with just the touch of her paw. Icekit could freeze anything in solid ice. Firekit could set anything ablaze with fire-breath. Dragonkit could sprout dragon wings out of her back, and grown enormouse dragon-talons. These powers were just developing, but they were easily noticable with Lionpaw watching the kits' every move.

He had never seen anything like these powers, but the kits' seemed like they would use them for could instead of evil. It would be hard, getting them to fight their own father. But Wildclaw was a different cat now. Something happened, something terrible, and he was never the same.

There were a few frosted moss-balls, charred twigs, mysterious dissapearing wounds and shedded scales still lying around in the nursery, but those were the biggest things.

Lionpaw looked down at Cloverkit, her emerald eyes flashing with annoyance. "Go fight somewhere else! You're ruffling my pelt!" Firekit and Icekit tumbled in their battle, rolling towards her. Icekit engulfed his brother's head in ice, and Firekit melted it off. They batted eachother endlessly, until Dragonpaw came and swatted them away from eachother with her sharp talons. Firekit was bleeding from the wound, but didn't seem to notice. He just simply padded over to Cloverkit, and she did her magic.

A surge of light went through Firekit head to paws, and the wound was gone. Only a few tufts of fur were missing.

Lionpaw smiled. These kits had souls of angels, not a hint of evil in there. They were just being kits. He padded over to Spottedtail and sat under some shade with her. "Hello, Spottedtail." he mewed, their pelts brushing. Spottedtail purred. "Hello, Lionpaw. Guess what?"

"What?"

"I heard Windstar say that you might become a warrior soon."

Lionpaw smiled. Since Shadowheart ran off, he had trained with Spottedtail's mentor, Hazelfeather. After she became a warrior, he was basically finished training. He just needed to wait for his turn.

Spottedtail got up and padded off to the entrance, looking back at him. "Coming hunting?" she asked, smiling. Lionpaw nodded, following her out of camp.

**OKAY for you creepers, she IS NOT asking him to mate with her so leave her alone. It's just a hunt. FOR PREY. They will probably catch a mouse or something. Jeez.**


End file.
